Australias Marine Pollution - Essay Example

Australia’s Marine Pollution Introduction and issue Our sylvan earth has been polluted by various sources, ever since the ‘origination’ of humans andtheir ambitious drive to develop. Earth is polluted by man made chemicals, vehicles etc, etc… In this ever-expanding list of pollutants, the ships have become a major contributor of pollutants and thus leading to marine pollution all over the world. Ships are the key component of the marine industry and this dubious role would defame the marine industry and importantly will damage the natural environment. So, this paper will analyze the issue of shipping caused marine pollution in Australia, how it is affecting environment and people’s health in Australia, steps taken by the government and finally the possible solutions that could help prevent this issue from becoming an even bigger problem. “The pristine Australian and New Zealand seas are vulnerable to shipping pollution and so the Australian and New Zealand laws and regulatory structures are essential in dealing with this risk,” (uq.edu.au, 2007). Effect on the environment and people’s health The problem of shipping caused marine pollution is a longstanding one. Ever since the ships started to use diesel and other fuels to run or function, marine pollution started happening. The major pollutants that are emitted from the ships are nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulphur oxides (SOx). These pollutants negatively impact onshore human health and environmental. Onshore is the key because 70% of all ship emissions are within 400km of land. (Vidal, 2009). This fact is quite detrimental to the Australians and its environment because majority of the Australia’s population and key environmental landmarks reside on the coastal regions. “For Australians, the oceans, seas and coasts of our island continent hold a special place in our hearts, our histories and our future. The majority of our population and our major cities are coastal, reflecting our heritage and the imperatives of trade and transport.” (environment.gov.au, 2007). The pollutants could affect the health of Australians as well as other people in different ways. That is, the fine particles, that are formed and emitted directly because of secondary atmospheric reactions of NOx and of Sox, are associated with premature death due to heart attacks and lung cancer. Also, these pollutants cause atherosclerosis, stroke and permanent respiratory damage. (bluewaternetwork.org). Also, ozone depletion, caused by the secondary atmospheric reactions of Nox, will affect the people by letting the dangerous ultra violet rays and causing cancer. From the environmental assault point of view, the emissions causes acid rain, crop damage, regional haze and importantly damages the Australia’s environmental and economical landmark Great Barrier Reef (GBR). “The Great Barrier Reef is the largest collection of living organisms on the planet…a unique ecosystem... In addition to its environmental and cultural significance, the GBR has important economic significance. It supports a billion dollar sector of the tourism industry and a $250 million sector of the fishing industry.” (Ovreberg, 2002, amsa.gov.au, 2001). As several commercial shipping routes pass through it, GBR is exposed to greater amount of marine pollution, causing large scale destructions. For example, the Tributyltin (TBT) compounds, which are found in some antifouling paints, dissolve in the seas and this is detrimental to the GBR. If GBR is further exposed to marine pollution, the resultant destruction will have environmental and importantly human impact, as many Australians depend on it for their livelihood. Community/Government response to the issue This part of the paper looks at the background of the new International regulations to control the emissions of marine pollution from ships. It had its beginnings in 1973, when the first International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships was held and a protocol was created for covering and stopping pollution by oil, chemicals, and harmful substances in packaged form, sewage and garbage. The new Annex VI requires a global cap in the sulphur content and nitrous oxide content in the fuel oil. Alternatively, ships must fit an exhaust gas cleaning system or use any other technological method to limit SOx emissions. (dieselnet.com). New installations containing ozone-depleting substances are prohibited on all ships (projects.dnv.com). Apart from protecting GBR with the aid of international law and international maritime conventions, Australian government and the Queensland government has passed many legislations in that aspect. To optimally protect GBR and regulate shipping without pollution, these legislations are overseen by three main government agencies. “The main agencies with an interest in regulating shipping in the Reef are the Queensland Department of Transport (QT), the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA).” (amsa.gov.au, 2001). So, the international organizations and Australian governments have responded effectively to cut down marine pollution from the ships, thereby saving people as well as the environmental landmarks like GBR Possible solutions to prevent this issue from becoming an even bigger problem When earth originated billions and billions of years ago, it was gifted with a pure natural environment. But, as the earth evolved it turned into an eyesore due to various forms of pollutions. So, protecting the environment, and turning the earth from an eyesore to an eye-catching spectacle is the major duty. To safeguard our earth from the emissions, the environment should be made clean. Clean in the sense, devoid of the dangerous SOx and NOx. For that, variety of technologies is available in the market. Technologies include water-based technologies such as humidification and emulsified fuel, after-treatment technologies such as selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and seawater scrubbing. (bluewaternetwork.org). If all these technologies are integrated into ships, the emissions from the ships can be controlled optimally, thereby limiting Marine pollution. Also, TBT free anti-fouling paints that are extensively currently available in Australia should be used to paint the ships. Another solution or last resort solution that can prevent or minimize shipping caused marine pollution is the imposition of heavy fines and even bans on particular ships and shipping companies. So, all these solutions can prevent shipping caused marine pollution from reaching extreme levels and can protect the natural environment and importantly the humans all over the world. References amsa.gov.au, 2001, Review of ship safety and pollution prevention measures in the Great Barrier Reef, accessed May 10, 2009 http://www.amsa.gov.au/shipping_safety/Great_Barrier_Reef_and_Torres_Strait/GBR_Review_Report/Introduction.asp amsa.gov.au, 2001, Review of ship safety and pollution prevention measures in the Great Barrier Reef: Improving Legislative Powers Regulating Shipping, accessed May 10, 2009 http://www.amsa.gov.au/Shipping_Safety/Great_Barrier_Reef_and_Torres_Strait/GBR_Review_Report/Improving_legislative_powers.asp bluewaternetwork.org, 2006, Appropriate standards to reduce air pollution from ships, accessed May 10, 2009 http://www.bluewaternetwork.org/FOIENorwaypaper.pdf dieselnet.com, International: IMO Marine Engine Regulations, accessed May 10, 2009 http://www.dieselnet.com/standards/inter/imo.php environment.gov.au, 2007, Australias Oceans - New Horizons: Supporting Policy Statement, accessed May 10, 2009 http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/oceans-policy/publications/new-horizons-supp-statement.html Ovreberg, A, 2002, Protecting a Natural Wonder, accessed May 10, 2009 http://www.dnv.com/PDFGenerator/Generate.aspx?http://www.dnv.com/resources/publications/dnv_forum/archive/Protectinganaturalwonder.asp%3Fuseprintlayout%3Dtrue. projects.dnv.com, Ozone depleting substances - Regulations, accessed May 10, 2009 http://projects.dnv.com/portenv/ASP/RegulationsInfo.asp?ID=39&Category=Air uq.edu.au, 2007, New guide on combating marine pollution, accessed May 10, 2009 http://www.uq.edu.au/news/?article=12153 Vidal, H, 2009, Health risks of shipping pollution have been underestimated. The Guardian, accessed May 10, 2009 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/09/shipping-pollution Read More